José Sá Fernandes has brought over 70 corruption cases to the courts

Portugal is one of Europe's poorest countries, and many Portuguese believe that the root cause is corruption. At the heart of these claims lie the fallen public officials at Lisbon's Town Hall.

In May last year, Lisbon's mayor, Antonio Carmona Rodrigues, stood accused of multiple cases of corruption. Half-way through his term, he was forced to resign.

The man who uncovered much of the scandals - and continues to do so today - is lawyer José Sá Fernandes.

People & Power journey's with this long-time civil activist to uncover Lisbon's dodgy deals.

In from the fringe

Many Africans move to Portugal in hope of a better life

Another social ill underlying Portuguese society is illegal immigration.

While Europe tries to stem the tide of illegal migrants, Portugal is introducing new laws that will legalise many of them.

But critics say the laws do not go far enough. 46,000 Cape Verdeans live and work in the country without legal documentation.

Many pay taxes, but still live in poverty and are subject to racial discrimination.

Now, a grassroots Portuguese movement is working for the legalisation of illegal immigrants in a band to bring them in from the fringe. People & Power reports.

Watch part one of this episode of People & Power on YouTube